The nice ones make it worth it

I had a guy on the phone tonight with some simple little problems …. no connection, cos his modem wasn’t logged in and he also wanted to get a second PC online.    So we went through the steps, accessing the modem, entering the settings, getting the network name and security info, saving all that … going to the PC, configuring up the wireless and hey presto, we’re all online and he’s Happy Customer #368.   While we’re waiting for his machine to reboot at some point, he starts telling me that he was very impressed with my customer service and said the call was “the most pleasant IT support experience he’s ever had”.   At which point he told me he works in IT recruitment and started asking me if I wanted a new job!

I just laughed and told him I’d barely been there for 3 months and this was my first IT job so I was in no hurry to jump ship just yet…. Well he was gobsmacked, said he’d never have guessed and thought I was ‘confident and concise’ and wanted to know what I’d done before this.   Upon hearing that my background was predominantly in financial administration and photography he was doubly impressed.   Said he could find me work any time, and was I sure I wanted to stay where I was?  🙂

Everyone loves a bit of positive feedback, and it’s particularly appreciated when you’re still not sure you’ve got a decent grip on your job.  I can’t believe how far I’ve come in this job in such a short period of time…. from barely ten weeks ago when I was stressed beyond belief and having great difficulty understanding all the jargon let alone the processes…..to now, when quite a lot of things have become routine, and I’m no longer struggling with the answer for every single little question.  There’s some rather patient people to thank for the transformation (one in particular – big kisses for him!) for putting up with my constant questions and all !!!

So it was great getting a really nice caller, so much better than the ones who want to rip your head off for something you know nothing about and had nothing to do with!  I hope Happy Customer #368 is still all connected and happily surfing for porn as we speak… thanks Meester!  You made my day.  🙂
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Worse than the customers

There’s one thing I’ve discovered at work that is worse than all the strange things the customers throw at you… and that is discovery of just how dodgy some of my colleagues are.  I have seen some people at work hanging up on customers because they don’t like dealing with them.   And for any of a multitude of pathetic bullshit reasons… . they don’t like dealing with old people…. or can’t handle the technically challenged people…. or perhaps it’s all together too hard dealing with people for whom English is a second language…. or  (and I’ve actually seen this) just because they’d been on the call too long and were getting sick of it. 

It is beyond my comprehension how these people still have a job!

But worse than the pure laziness and lack of work ethic displayed by some, is the misinformation that seems to get thrown about.  I got a call on Sunday night, and in the account, found some notes left by a Vista trained support person who had informed a customer that they were unable to use their onboard wifi in their brand new laptop because the drivers weren’t available yet  😐   I mean honestly!  I’m about the second least technically savvy person in the place, and even I know better than that.  Un-Vista trained borys, then talked the customer through configuring their centrino and within about 20mins they were a happily connected little Vegemite customer again…. 

I foresee with a bit of luck and a fair breeze that I could do well here.   And as much as I would like to believe it would be though virtue of my own talents and merit… ’tis much more likely any success I might eventually experience would merely be due to being less mediocre than my neighbours.   :S
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Sweet Sweet Mogodons… :(

I’ve thrown all my sleep patterns out the window I think.  I’ve never been one to sleep really well, and lately I seem to be all over the place.  Maybe its the shift work, though in truth I’ve been pretty lucky with my rosters so far, and it doesn’t really feel like I’ve been doing odd shifts at all…. the only problem is, I just can’t sleep in! So if i finish work at 11pm, I don’t end up getting to sleep until 1am…. and then for reasons that totally defy logic, I wake up at 6am regardless.  Which is okay for a night or two, but its becoming far too much of a habit.    I’m feeling really tired at work in the middle of the afternoon, and had to resort to V a few times last week to wake me up a bit (hate the way that stuff makes me feel…)   And the worst thing about being overtired, is that it just makes it so much more difficult to manage the back pain.  I mean the stupid back hurts all day everyday, but when I’m tired…. oh, so much harder to ignore.  😐

Is it too late for a New Years resolution?  Must start going to bed at a reasonable hour!  Must stop staying up all night chatting with strange men on the MSN!  Must learn to regularly sleep in past half six!!!

I’ll give you all night movie marathon
and a triple espresso so you can stay awake
it might be late – but
it’s never too late for that lovin’
my sexy babe

Neighbourly…

HDC: You’re going to need the newest version of the connection manager software… If you like I can send you a new disc, though that may take several days…  Do you have any alternate access to the internet?

Customer: Not really …

HDC:  If you don’t want to wait for a disc in the mail, the connection manager software is available from the Downloads section of our website.  Perhaps you could try a friend’s connection or public internet access somewhere, and you could download it there…. that might help you complete your install without having to wait for the disc?….

Customer: Oh.. okay… hang on a minute… okay I’m in… where did you say it was on the website?

HDC:  It’s under the Help and Downloads options….. Oh, Is your device working now?!?!? Are you able to connect and browse the web??

Customer: Ummm …not exactly … I’m just kinda… umm … hacked into my neighbours wifi…

😐
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What would you like it to be?

I’ve got a bit of a headcold at the moment, seems to be going around, likely that Angel bought it home from school as per usual.  And I’m debating whether or not to go to work today, I’m not feeling so dreadful, so likely I will go in.  Never had a casual job before where ringing in for sick leave meant you didn’t get paid, so it’s an new an unusual feeling to still be motivated to turn up even though I’m not 100%.  Must still have some of that unfortunate public service mentality going on I think, whereby, there’s no way you bother turning up if you’re under the weather, unless you have something particularly pressing requiring your attention…. and how often did that happen!?!?!

I managed to get through yesterday on the phones, even though talking all day does nothing for you if you’ve got a sore throat.  My voice is rather more husky than normal this morning, which would be fine (perhaps even a bonus!) if I was a phone operator in a different industry, but for a technical support help desk… maybe not so much.  SirPhil and I were joking about it this morning..

“Welcome to Goliath, this is borysSNORC!  How may I help you?… You have a problem with your ADSL?  Okay… Can I please have your Username and your credit card details, as this call attracts a charge of $3.95/minute…..” 

If anyone asks me what I’m wearing… I’m going to pack up my bag and ball and come home  🙂
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